UA women return to WNIT form

ROB KEYS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- One down, four to go.
Arkansas took the first step toward becoming the first team to repeat as Women's National Invitation Tournament champions Wednesday night, beating Wichita State 83-63 before 2,035 at Walton Arena.
Arkansas, which reeled off five consecutive home victories to win last year's WNIT, will play host to Missouri in a second-round game Saturday at 7 p.m. Missouri beat Evansville 84-81 in overtime on Wednesday.
The Lady Razorbacks beat Missouri 83-76 in Columbia on Nov. 22.
Junior guard Wendi Willits led Arkansas (15-14) with 20 points, the most she's scored since a 24-point effort on Jan. 27. All but two of Willits' points came in a second half that featured three Wichita State technical fouls and the ejection of Shockers Coach Darryl Smith.
Willits and freshman India Lewis, who scored 12 points, combined for six three-pointers as the Lady Razorbacks halted the longest losing streak in program history at seven games.
"If we can get Willits and Lewis those open looks, I think that's what we've got to have," said Arkansas Coach Gary Blair, who avoided his first losing season in 15 years as a head coach. "We've got to be able to free them up."
Arkansas also was boosted by freshman Lakishia Harper's career-high 16 points. Harper made 8 of 12 field goals and had 7 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist.
"It's the first time this year Harper has taken over a ball game," Blair said. "It was good to see her step up."
Smith picked up his first technical and senior guard LaTeesha Hill another as Willits outscored Wichita State 14-6 to open the second half and stretched a 41-29 halftime lead to 55-35.
Sophomore point guard Amy Wright had two of her season-high 10 assists during Willits' spurt.
Junior forward Lonniya Bragg, last year's WNIT MVP, became the first Lady Razorback other than Willits to score in the second half, converting a layup with 15:19 to play. Bragg finished with 10 points.
Wichita State answered Bragg's basket with a 14-6 run to trim its deficit to 63-49 before Lewis hit a three-pointer for a 17-point cushion.
Wichita State didn't get closer than 14 points the rest of the way, and Smith was ejected after picking up his second technical with 8:21 to play.
"If I criticize them [officials] at all, I'll get fined, too, so I think I'll just shut up," Smith said. "I think the way that I left the game speaks for what I thought was going on out there.
"We didn't get any breaks, not one break, as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes you make your own [breaks] and sometimes things even out. Well, they didn't [even out] tonight."
Willits hit the two ensuing free throws after Smith's ejection for a 68-52 lead, and Arkansas stretched it to 77-54 on Brandi Whitehead's three-point play with 2:49 left.
Wichita State (20-10) was led by Courtney Sims' 22 points.
"We didn't get back on defense, we didn't put in our shots when we needed to and we were just getting frustrated," Hill said. "You can't play frustrated."
Wichita State scored the game's first five points, and held the lead until Lewis hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Arkansas a 17-16 lead 11:12 before halftime.
There were then two ties and two lead changes before Lewis ignited an 18-6 Lady Razorbacks run over the final 5:33 of the first half with another three-pointer.
Lewis' three gave Arkansas the lead for good, 26-23, and her two assists to Celia Anderson in the final minute of the half helped the Lady Razorbacks to a 41-29 halftime advantage.

This article was published on Thursday, March 16, 2000

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